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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.

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: field · hide · fall · cue · lash · net · stem · bulb

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — a subject
  4. net — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — for pool

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