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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wake — before a funeral

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