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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 116 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: stem · lash · rule · snap · pitch · content · saw · wax

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — happy
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. snap — to click
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wax — to grow
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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