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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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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: lash · date · cold · stem · lie · bound · kick · jam

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bound — obliged
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kick — in football
  12. cold — an illness
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cold — not warm
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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