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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. staff — a stick
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — a law
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kid — child
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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