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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — a path
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — to breed
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. racket — a loud noise

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