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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 120 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: cell · lash · calf · deal · mine · rash · drill · stem

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cell — in biology
  20. drill — army training
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mine — an explosive

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