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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 124 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cue — a signal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — boats
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kid — to tease
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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