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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. firm — decided
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — a company
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pop — soda
  15. stem — to come from
  16. degree — an amount
  17. firm — steady
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. shower — to wash
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pound — a weight

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