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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — for betting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. kick — in football
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — hasty

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