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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cell — a phone
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — a gift
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kick — in football
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cell — in a prison

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