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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — army training
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. march — music
  12. rash — a series
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — a measure
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. object — an aim
  24. foot — part of the body

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