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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — in control
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. charge — a price
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — thin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lash — to lash out

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