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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. toast — bread
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — to come from

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