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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — a break
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. shower — rain
  17. cell — a phone
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. board — to get on

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