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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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Word bank
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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: lash · stem · race · chair · present · hide

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. race — the arms race
  3. present — there
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — a gift
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. race — a contest
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — to keep secret

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