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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — after costs
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. shower — rain
  12. mug — to rob
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — a container
  17. net — for catching
  18. mug — a face
  19. chest — a box
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wave — with your hand

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