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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stem — to come from
  10. last — finally
  11. stock — shares
  12. lean — thin
  13. field — a subject
  14. suit — clothes
  15. field — farmland
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. field — for sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lean — to rest against

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