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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: rush · lash · field · rule · saw · march · stem · staff

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — a stick
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — government
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — hurry

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