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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. last — final
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a document
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. press — a publisher
  23. kick — in football
  24. file — a tool

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