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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. last — to go on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. last — finally
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. suit — in cards
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — final
  17. mine — for digging
  18. swing — to play on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — a line
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pound — a weight

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