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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tear — to rip
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tear — from crying
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. race — humankind
  20. chair — a leader
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. coach — a trainer

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