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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. band — a ring
  3. pit — a hole
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wound — an injury
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — of ice
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. band — a music group

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