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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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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: racket · swing · staff · lie · fork · rush · stem · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — to come from
  16. swing — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — in golf
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hide — animal skin

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