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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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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: game · lash · sharp · stem · chest · bear · tube · charge

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — a box
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — a container

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