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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — all right
  13. last — final
  14. pit — a hole
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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