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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stem — to come from
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cell — a phone
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — to fit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. snap — to click
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bay — a horse colour

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