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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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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: stand · kid · cue · scale · lash · bat · stick · root

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kid — child
  5. scale — in music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. root — the cause
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. root — of a word
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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