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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. fine — all right
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cell — in biology

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