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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: can · calf · lash · cell · race · shower · stem · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — a contest
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cell — a phone
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — a video
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. race — humankind
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cell — in biology
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. can — a tin

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