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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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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: stick · lean · stem · calf · lash · net · pound · rest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. net — after costs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stem — to come from
  15. net — in sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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