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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mug — a face
  3. season — in sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mug — a cup
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bass — low music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cell — in biology
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — hasty
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cell — a phone

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