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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — a tool
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — the arms race
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — to handle
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. race — humankind
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. race — a contest

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