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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spring — a coil
  6. branch — a division
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — letters
  24. cap — a lid

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