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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.

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: lash · wound · mug · cold · track · calf · scale · stem

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — an illness
  14. track — a song
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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