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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. sharp — exactly

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