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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cell — in biology
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — clever

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