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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: bay · ground · lean · roll · board · cell · stem · firm

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ground — the earth
  6. roll — a cake
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. firm — a company
  12. ground — crushed
  13. board — a committee
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — steady
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. roll — a list
  22. firm — decided
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lean — thin

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