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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stem — to come from
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — to protest
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — a thing
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — an aim
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. season — of the year
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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