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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 · cabinet · mouse · stem · coach · stand · kick · wound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. swing — to play on

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