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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — of a river
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. plane — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. field — farmland

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