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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pop — soda
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — the amount
  21. kick — in football
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — a hint

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