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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. snap — to click
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chip — to eat
  16. branch — a division
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ball — a dance
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ball — a round shape

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