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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's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fall — the season
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — to sit on

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