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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rash — a series
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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