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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cell — a phone
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — all right
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — in biology

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