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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. club — a group
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — crushed
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for dancing
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stem — to come from

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