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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lie — to recline

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