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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. ground — a position
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tube — a container
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fall — to drop
  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