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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lash — to lash out

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