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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. last — to go on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. last — final
  7. present — a gift
  8. object — an aim
  9. present — there
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a cup
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — a thing
  15. mug — a face
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — to protest
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mug — to rob
  21. last — finally
  22. present — the time now
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. arm — part of the body

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