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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — completely
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a document
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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