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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to click
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cabinet — ministers

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