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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — farmland
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in biology
  14. season — of the year
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — a subject
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — a phone
  20. season — in sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — high quality
  24. dip — a sauce

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