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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stem — to come from
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. drill — army training
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. row — a line
  23. fine — all right
  24. bass — the instrument

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