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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: kid · date · sharp · stem · chest · mug · object · lash

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kid — child
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — to tease
  10. date — the fruit
  11. chest — a box
  12. mug — to rob
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — to protest
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. object — a thing
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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