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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: lash · bark · pass · stem · temple · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bark — to shout
  9. object — a thing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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