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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. cell — in biology
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. roll — a list
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — of the year
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cell — a phone
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stem — to come from

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