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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.

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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: foot · stem · bear · wave · fall · lash · can · saw

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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