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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cap — a hat
  24. shower — rain

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