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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. band — a ring
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. kid — child
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rule — government
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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