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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: pitch · stem · pass · fine · face · bat · lash · mine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — all right
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bat — in an idiom

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