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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: lie · kid · lash · stem · craft · root · saw · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kid — child
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — the cause
  21. craft — a skill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — a stem cell

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