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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 120 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: lash · stem · ruler · leaves · tube · cell · wound · content

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — happy
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — the amount

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