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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.

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: racket · stem · lash · chair · scale · bark · lean · roll

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lean — thin
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lean — to bend
  22. roll — a list
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lash — an eyelash

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