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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — a skill
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cold — an illness
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to tire
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a match
  13. craft — boats
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. squash — the sport
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stem — to come from
  24. safe — out of danger

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