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

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis

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