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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spring — the season
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — to come from
  20. land — ground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — all right
  23. land — a country
  24. spring — a coil

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