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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · cell · ruler · kick · cold · key

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — in football
  9. cell — in biology
  10. key — in music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kick — a thrill

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