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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pop — music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — a contest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. race — humankind
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mug — a face
  24. rule — a law

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