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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chip — for betting
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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