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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tear — from crying
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — soda
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — to go away

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