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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a signal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a song
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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