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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chest — a box
  4. board — a committee
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. club — for golf
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cue — for pool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — a group
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mate — a partner
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mate — a friend

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