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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 120 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a ring
  21. capital — a city
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fine — all right

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