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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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