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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rule — government
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. object — an aim
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. object — a thing
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — a law
  24. bowl — a football final

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