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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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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: ball · stand · firm · stem · pit · rule · lash · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rule — government
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — in a race
  10. firm — a company
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rash — a series
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rash — on the skin

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