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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: rest · leaves · lash · stem · kid · pitch · drill · ball

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a great time
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — child
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — a break
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. drill — army training

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