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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — steady
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mate — a partner
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — letters
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — decided

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