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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — to cut
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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