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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. present — the time now
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — a gift
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — there
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cue — a signal

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