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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. firm — steady
  14. degree — an amount
  15. shower — rain
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. degree — from a university

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