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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. court — of law
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rash — a series
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to sink
  22. court — for sport
  23. spell — magic
  24. wind — to turn a key

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