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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. 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. stem — a stem cell
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. snap — to click
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — letters
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. spell — magic
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spell — a short time
  18. 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