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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: board · stem · wound · mug · lash · temple · object · date

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — a face
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — an injury
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — a thing
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — to rob

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