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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fine — high quality
  4. swing — music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tube — a container
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. band — a music group
  15. swing — in golf
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tube — the underground
  24. band — a rubber band

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