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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. club — for golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spell — magic
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — in cards
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. court — of a king
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stem — to come from
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. toast — bread
  24. court — of law

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