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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ball — a dance
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — rain
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. land — ground
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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