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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. scale — in music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — a break

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