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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fall — the season

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