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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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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: lash · stand · stem · rock · chip · cap · bound · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rock — music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stand — on your feet

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