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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — to come from
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — of the year
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. season — in sport
  24. trunk — of a tree

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