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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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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: lie · pitcher · bear · band · stem · hand · lash · fan

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — help
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — of a plant

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