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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — to come from

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