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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. firm — steady
  8. net — for catching
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — after costs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. firm — decided
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. tube — a container
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — an untruth

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