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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — to come from
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — a measure
  17. shower — to wash
  18. row — a line
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ball — a round shape

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