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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — to come from
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. clip — a video
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. kick — in football
  20. clip — to cut
  21. firm — decided
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rule — government

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