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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — for money
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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