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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cue — a hint
  6. land — a country
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stem — to come from
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spring — a coil
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spring — the season
  16. squash — to crush
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — of water
  20. cue — a signal
  21. march — music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — a measure

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