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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: lash · stem · bowl · mate · bank · wind · lie · drill

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — army training
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bowl — a dish

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