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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. object — an aim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rash — a series

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