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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — of water
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mug — a face
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — electric
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bark — to shout
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — happening now
  23. stem — to come from
  24. saw — the tool

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