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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. content — happy
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — to recline
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — the amount

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