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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — after costs
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. firm — a company
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — steady
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. firm — decided
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. sharp — exactly

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