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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cell — a phone
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mate — a friend
  15. object — to protest
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ball — a dance
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — an aim

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