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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: lash · ball · rest · bore · wind · track · ground · stem

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — a song
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — to tire
  19. track — a path
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ball — a great time

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