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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — a list
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. kick — in football
  7. game — a match
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. game — wild animals
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a friend

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