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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rule — a law
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — in a road
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — of a plant

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