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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — rain
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stem — to come from
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chair — a leader
  24. drill — the 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