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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — happy
  12. rule — government
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stem — to come from
  18. content — the amount
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. swing — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rule — to rule out

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