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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mug — to rob
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — a container
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — to come from
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a face
  24. lie — an untruth

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