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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: stem · lash · scale · tear · patient · mark · pop · rock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pop — soda
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pop — music
  24. mark — a trace

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