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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — completely
  11. file — a tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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