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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cell — a phone
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — to be able to
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — ground
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — a division
  24. mark — a trace

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