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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. key — in music
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rash — a series
  11. shower — rain
  12. rash — hasty
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pit — in a race
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pit — a hole
  24. perch — for a bird

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