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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. race — humankind
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — a contest
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chair — a leader
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chip — for betting

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