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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stem — a stem cell

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