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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — to get on
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a committee
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — happy
  19. kid — child
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stem — of a plant

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