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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — to come from
  9. key — in music
  10. land — ground
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. land — a country
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bore — to drill

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