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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · bound · swing · snap · spell · stem · coach · lash

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. swing — in golf
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spell — magic
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. snap — to click

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