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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — a country
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kick — in football
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — an injury
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. mug — a face

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