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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: sharp · racket · lash · capital · coach · kick · fan · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. capital — a city
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — in football
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fan — a supporter

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