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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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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 · bear · pitch · fall · mouse · staff · stem · cue

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitch — completely
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cue — for pool
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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