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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — in control
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stem — to come from
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. content — happy
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in a prison

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