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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. can — to be able to
  8. band — a ring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a committee
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cell — a phone
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cap — a lid
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cell — in biology
  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