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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: fan · kid · fall · lash · stem · lie · pit · racket

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pit — a hole
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — the season
  24. stem — to come from

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