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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — shares
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stock — goods
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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