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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. land — a country
  6. mine — for digging
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — to come down
  15. kid — child
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. kid — to tease
  24. land — ground

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