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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 120 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: saw · leaves · pitcher · ruler · stem · temple · swing · snap

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. snap — to click
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. swing — in golf

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