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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cell — a phone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — a subject
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. race — a contest
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. field — farmland
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. race — humankind
  21. field — for sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. race — the arms race

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