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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lie — to recline
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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