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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. swing — to play on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — the animal

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