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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. dip — to dunk
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. dip — to sink
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mate — a partner
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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