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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. squash — the sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. temple — a place of worship

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