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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — a break
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — for sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bore — to drill
  16. field — a subject
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. field — farmland
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — an explosive

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