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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 ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — for a lock
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — in music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — music

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