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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. degree — from a university
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. vault — a safe
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stem — to come from
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. patient — a sick person

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