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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. row — a line
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to sink
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a lid
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — to be able to

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