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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chest — of your body
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. chest — a box
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rock — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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