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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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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — certain
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stem — to come from

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