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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cell — a phone
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. dip — to sink
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a song
  13. date — the fruit
  14. roll — a cake
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — to keep track
  17. roll — a list
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a path
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — a sauce

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