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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rest — a break
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — a video
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — a list
  24. clip — to cut

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