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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tube — a container
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a hint
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — to fit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — clothes

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