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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — to be able to
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — to protest
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing

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