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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — of water

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