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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'll be taking 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 — of ice
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — a gift
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lean — thin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tube — the underground

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