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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · pass · lash · kick · staff · capital

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — a permit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. capital — money
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. capital — a city
  18. lash — an eyelash

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