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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. row — a line
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wound — an injury
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wound — an injury
  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