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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lean · mark · lash · rest · saw · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. 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