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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — a position
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pop — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pop — soda

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