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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spell — magic
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — a cup
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a face
  24. chair — to sit on

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