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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 120 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: lash · mug · spell · cue · stem · bat · rush · wind

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. spell — magic
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lash — an eyelash

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