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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a partner
  7. prune — to trim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — magic
  13. spring — a coil
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mate — to breed

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