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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — a song
  17. cell — in biology
  18. track — to keep track
  19. squash — the sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — a leader
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. shower — rain
  24. track — a path

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