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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cue — a hint
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chair — a leader
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lean — thin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. shower — rain
  24. charge — a price

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