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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. craft — boats
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. roll — a list
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. field — for sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. field — a subject
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — letters
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. field — farmland
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — magic
  22. roll — a cake
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spell — a short time

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