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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — to come from
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mug — to rob
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tube — in a tire

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