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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — a cup
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. charge — a price
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spell — letters
  11. charge — in control
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. spring — of water
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chest — a box
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mug — a face

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