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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · stem · leaves · press · row · board · present · stick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — to get on
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — to paddle
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. board — a committee
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. present — a gift
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com