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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spell — a short time
  4. club — for dancing
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — in a race
  9. track — a path
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spell — letters
  12. club — for golf
  13. spell — magic
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. track — to keep track
  20. root — of a word
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — a group
  23. track — a song
  24. suit — clothes

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