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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. toast — bread
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — a coil

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