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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — a grade

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