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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — in cards
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bass — low music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. suit — to fit
  15. field — for sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. field — a subject
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stem — of a plant

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