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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: roll · stem · bat · cell · last · mouse · deal · mate

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — a partner
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. roll — a list
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mate — a friend
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mouse — the 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