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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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Word bank
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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: rock · cell · pass · mouse · calf · chest · cabinet · land

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cell — in biology
  24. calf — a young animal

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