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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ground — a position

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