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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — a series
  9. club — a group
  10. rule — a law
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — government
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. club — for golf

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