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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stock — shares
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tube — a container

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