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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bank — of a river
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — to come from
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — a path
  19. rule — a law
  20. face — part of the head
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — government

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