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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · racket · temple · tube · march · current · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — happening now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — a container
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. racket — a loud noise

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