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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. object — a thing
  9. march — music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — the month
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. drill — army training
  24. present — a gift

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