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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chip — for betting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — a short time
  10. file — a tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. file — a document
  23. spell — letters
  24. cue — for pool

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