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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: roll · fall · cue · lean · lash · chip · field · stem

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — farmland
  9. cue — a signal
  10. field — a subject
  11. fall — the season
  12. field — for sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. roll — a list
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. roll — a cake

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