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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chest — a box
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chest — of your body

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