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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cell — in biology
  3. march — the month
  4. squash — to crush
  5. march — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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