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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. file — a tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — crushed
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ground — a position
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a line of people
  24. key — for a lock

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