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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: lash · face · stem · leaves · straw · cabinet · bat · board

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — a committee
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to confront
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. face — part of the head
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stem — to come from
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lash — an eyelash

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