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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — of a plant
  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