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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cell — a phone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cell — in biology
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — a tin

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