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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — for weighing

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