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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: mark · bass · capital · kid · stem · lean · lash · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. capital — money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kid — child
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lean — thin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kid — to tease
  17. capital — a city
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — low music
  24. stem — of a plant

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