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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — to breed
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — a friend
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wound — an injury

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