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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — a gift
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. object — a thing
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. present — there
  19. season — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — an aim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — a strongbox

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