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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a ring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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