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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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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: dip · lash · rush · cell · bound · board · stem · net

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. board — to get on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. dip — a sauce

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