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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. object — a thing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — to come from
  17. object — to protest
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. object — an aim
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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