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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — a break
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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