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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stem — to come from
  4. file — a document
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a ring
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. row — a line
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lean — thin

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