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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — a company
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. firm — steady
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cell — in biology
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — in football
  21. firm — decided
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — a cup

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