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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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