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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — magic
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spell — letters
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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