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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: cell · pitcher · track · lean · stem · lash · tear · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cell — in biology
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — thin
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cell — a phone

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