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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hand — help
  7. rest — a break
  8. face — to confront
  9. tube — a container
  10. hand — in cards
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — the underground
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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