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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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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: kick · pass · vault · lash · patient · squash · stem · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. vault — a safe

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