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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cold — an illness
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in biology
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — employees
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pop — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — certain
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pop — to visit
  19. object — a thing
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — to be able to
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cold — the Cold War

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