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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a song
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — from a university
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a path
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. degree — temperature
  19. shower — rain
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. degree — an amount
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cue — for pool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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