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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. row — a quarrel

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