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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fall — the season
  3. cue — a hint
  4. dip — to sink
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stem — to come from

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