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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hand — help
  3. net — for catching
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. net — in sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stem — to come from
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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