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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — all right
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. key — in music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — government
  11. root — of a word
  12. rule — a law
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — for a lock
  16. drill — army training
  17. root — the cause
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mate — a friend
  24. safe — a strongbox

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