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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. roll — a list
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. spring — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. object — to protest
  21. spring — the season
  22. object — a thing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mouse — for a computer

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