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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. kick — in football
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chip — for betting
  19. land — ground
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — an aim
  24. cell — a phone

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