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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cell — a phone
  3. snap — to click
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — for pool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stem — a stem cell

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