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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cold — not warm
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cold — the Cold War

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