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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — to breed
  24. saw — the tool

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