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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rest — a break
  3. spell — a short time
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spell — letters
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — magic
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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