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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — to come down
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — a break
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stem — to come from
  11. game — a match
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — to rip
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — a short time
  19. key — in music
  20. spell — magic
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — a country
  24. key — for a lock

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