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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. file — a document
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — an aim

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