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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. present — the time now
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. present — there
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — to sink
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rule — government

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