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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. race — humankind
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — a contest
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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