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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cap — a lid
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lean — to bend
  12. object — an aim
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. object — a thing
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lean — thin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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