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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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