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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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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 · tear · stick · mark · saw · temple · lash · net

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stem — to come from
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tear — from crying

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