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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chest — a box
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cap — a hat

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