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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: firm · mark · nail · stem · fan · mate · lash · game

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mark — to pay attention

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