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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — an injury
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stem — to come from

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