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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.

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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 · kick · clip · pitcher · staff · ruler · rash · lash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — a series
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — hasty
  23. staff — a stick
  24. clip — for paper

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