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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — in a race
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. content — happy
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rush — hurry

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