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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for golf
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stem — to come from
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spell — letters
  16. club — a group
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spell — a short time

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