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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — to keep track
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. court — of law
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — a song
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. court — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. court — of a king
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — to breed
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. plane — a tool

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