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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 120 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: stem · coach · cabinet · lash · scale · mark

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — size or range
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. scale — for weighing

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