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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: stem · object · cell · season · rash · cap · bound · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. drill — army training
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rash — a series
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. season — in sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — an aim
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. object — a thing
  24. bound — obliged

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