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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 116 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: stem · rule · leaves · swing · straw · racket · lean · march

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — to come from
  3. swing — to play on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — government
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. march — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — a law
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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