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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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. band — a music group
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a ring
  8. pop — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rock — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — to visit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stem — of a plant

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