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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. kick — in football
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — a position
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. track — a path
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stem — to come from

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