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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — a short time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — thin

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