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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fall — the season
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spring — of water
  12. track — a path
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spring — a coil
  21. capital — money
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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