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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: bat · file · lash · kick · pass · stem · spell · rule

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spell — letters
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rule — government
  13. file — a document
  14. kick — in football
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bat — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rule — a law
  23. spell — magic
  24. file — a tool

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