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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — for pool
  6. club — a group
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. club — for golf
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fall — to drop

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