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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
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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 · kick · stem · band · spell · fan · face · bore

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bore — to tire
  7. band — a music group
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spell — a short time
  17. band — a ring
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — a stem cell

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