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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: wake · deal · lean · swing · pitcher · pitch · stem · hide

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — a trail
  20. swing — in golf
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wake — before a funeral

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