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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — to breed
  6. last — finally
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — final
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — in sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — thin
  24. mate — a partner

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