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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a line
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — for digging
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. court — for sport
  23. march — music
  24. ball — a great time

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