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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. band — a music group
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rule — government
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a ring
  22. row — a line
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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