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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: kick · stem · last · safe · bulb · snap · season · lash

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — final
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. last — finally
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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