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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — obliged
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — in cards
  7. object — to protest
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. object — an aim
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hand — help
  22. rest — a break
  23. object — a thing
  24. straw — dry grass

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