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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: mug · stem · toast · wind · row · snap · lash · court

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. snap — to click
  9. row — a line
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. court — for sport
  18. toast — bread
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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