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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. shower — rain
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — for sport
  9. shower — to wash
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of law
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — to come from
  24. racket — for tennis

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