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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rule — a law
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — government
  21. key — in music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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