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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — what's left
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — happy
  11. rest — a break
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. capital — money

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