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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chest — a box
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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