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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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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 · jam · swing · lie · bay · hand · pop · ball

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. swing — music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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