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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spell — letters
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — magic
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — a short time
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stem — to come from
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rush — to hurry

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