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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: hide · lash · cabinet · ball · tear · cue · stem · current

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — to rip

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