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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stem — to come from
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rule — a law
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chest — a box
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rule — government
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bound — certain
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mark — a grade

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