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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: firm · straw · snap · temple · land · stem · lash · ball

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. land — a country
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ball — a great time
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — decided
  17. stem — to come from
  18. firm — a company
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ball — a dance
  21. land — ground
  22. firm — steady
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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