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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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 — a phone
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fine — all right
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spell — magic
  17. current — electric
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spell — letters
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. vault — a safe
  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