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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — in cards
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — to fit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. suit — clothes
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ball — a great time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. trunk — of a car

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