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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — to get on
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — a committee
  9. land — ground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. scale — in music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — a young animal

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