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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — music
  17. race — a contest
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a ring
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. band — a music group

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