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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · stand · stem · rush · lash · net · hide · racket

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — in sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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