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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — soda
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. file — a document
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cold — an illness
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. root — of a word

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