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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — to breed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — for dancing
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — a group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for golf
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. patient — a sick person

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