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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — in music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a partner
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — to protest
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — to breed
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a friend

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