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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · mine · club · cell · craft · bay · stem · wind

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. club — for golf
  3. cell — in biology
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. craft — a skill

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