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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ball — a dance
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rock — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cell — in biology
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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