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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — soda
  4. mark — a trace
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pop — music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — to come from
  18. clip — a video
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hide — animal skin

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