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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: fine · mug · row · field · lash · stem · chair · rest

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mug — a face
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — a break
  10. row — a line
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. field — a subject
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — to rob

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