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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. present — there
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. present — a gift
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — the time now

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