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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — employees
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — to protest
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — a thing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kid — child
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — an aim

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