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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: stem · cell · swing · straw · kid · leaves · pass · pound

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kid — child
  6. stem — to come from
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kid — to tease
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. swing — music
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pound — to hit hard

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