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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. root — of a word
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — ground
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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