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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: bank · lean · lash · stem · scale · bulb · clip · dip

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — to come from
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. clip — for paper
  12. scale — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to bend
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bulb — of a plant

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