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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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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 · bark · pass · stem · temple · object · wave · rest

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. object — to protest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — a permit
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — a break
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. object — a thing
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bark — of a tree

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