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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — to come from
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chip — to eat
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. shower — rain
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cold — not warm
  20. roll — a list
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pass — a permit
  24. lash — to lash out

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