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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · lie · pitch · hide · plane · swing · spring · band

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lie — to recline
  21. band — a music group
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. plane — a tool

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