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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · stand · lash · season · sharp · lie · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stem — to come from
  6. capital — a city
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — to bear
  13. season — in sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — of the year
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stem — a stem cell

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