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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a music group
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a face
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a ring

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