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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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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: cell · suit · stem · file · object · cue · calf · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. file — a line of people
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — a thing
  8. roll — a cake
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a document
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cue — for pool
  13. object — an aim
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cell — in biology
  21. file — a tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — to protest
  24. stem — of a plant

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