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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. dip — to sink
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cell — in biology
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. object — to protest
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — a thing
  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