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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: stand · sharp · racket · kick · lash · tear · pop · stem

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pop — music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — soda
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — to bear
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kick — in football
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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