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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stem — to come from
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lash — an eyelash

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