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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. band — a music group
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — electricity
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. last — final
  10. charge — a price
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. last — to go on
  18. band — a ring
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — in control

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