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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stem — of a plant

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