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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. band — a music group
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — the season
  24. bowl — a football final

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