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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — a division
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a music group
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. ball — a round shape

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