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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fall — the season
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — thin
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fall — to drop

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