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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chest — of your body
  6. march — music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. march — the month
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — of a plant

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