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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — the time now
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. present — a gift
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — there
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  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