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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bank — for money
  10. chest — of your body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cell — a phone
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. roll — a list
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chest — a box
  21. bank — of a river
  22. charge — in control
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — to come from

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