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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pop — soda
  6. craft — a skill
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rash — a series
  10. stem — to come from
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — hasty
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stem — of a plant

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