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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pop — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. swing — music
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pop — soda
  24. stem — of a plant

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