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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — to succeed

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