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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cap — a lid
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rock — a stone
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — decided
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — steady

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