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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. clip — a video
  7. rock — a stone
  8. land — to come down
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rock — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — a country
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stem — to come from
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. clip — for paper

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