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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — music
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. object — an aim
  11. cold — not warm
  12. object — to protest
  13. cold — an illness
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. swing — to play on
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — a thing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — the Cold War

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