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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: bear · lash · rock · rash · stem · saw · wound · rush

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — hasty

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