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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. last — finally
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — final
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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