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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. field — farmland
  11. bass — the fish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. field — for sport
  23. stem — to come from
  24. leaves — of a tree

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