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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cell — in biology
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. court — of a king
  24. bowl — to roll

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