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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. field — for sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — the season
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. field — a subject
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fall — to drop

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