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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — a phone
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cell — in biology
  12. chest — a box
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a signal
  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