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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kid — child
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fall — the season
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. staff — employees
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — in sport

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