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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — of a word
  24. charge — in control

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