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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. craft — a skill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. scale — in music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — boats
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a great time
  22. scale — size or range
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a round shape

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