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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: net · stem · foot · lash · pitcher · trunk · wound · race

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — a measure
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. net — for catching
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. race — a contest
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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