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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to click
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. drill — army training
  14. date — the fruit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. drill — the tool

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