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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — farmland
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mug — a face
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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