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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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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: stem · rest · season · cue · pit · saw · lash · cap

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cue — a hint
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — a signal

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