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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — a group
  3. season — of the year
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. season — in sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — of a river
  8. club — for golf
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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