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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a document
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a tool
  19. hand — help
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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