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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. snap — to click
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cold — not warm
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stem — to come from
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. scale — size or range
  24. present — there

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