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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. date — the fruit
  3. field — a subject
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — to come from
  8. field — for sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. face — to confront
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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