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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: stem · lash · hide · band · mark · spell · row · current

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a grade
  9. band — a ring
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — electric
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. current — happening now
  14. spell — magic
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. current — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. band — a music group
  24. hide — animal skin

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