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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — to visit
  7. field — farmland
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. snap — to click
  13. charge — electricity
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pop — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pop — soda
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. charge — a price

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