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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kid — child
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stem — of a plant

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