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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 116 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: squash · pitcher · lash · face · scale · bay · band · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. band — a music group
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — in music

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