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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 124 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. stem — to come from

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