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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. net — after costs
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — for catching
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin

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