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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — to come from

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