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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for dancing
  11. clip — a video
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — the season
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for golf
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. clip — to cut
  19. club — a group
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pop — soda
  24. toast — bread

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