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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. band — a music group
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fine — all right
  10. season — of the year
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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