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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — help
  7. court — of a king
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hide — to keep secret

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