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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — government
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — to protest
  14. club — for golf
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. object — an aim
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wake — a trail

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