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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: lash · stick · mate · swing · hand · stem · saw · chip

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stem — to come from
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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