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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. row — a line
  7. chip — for betting
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — obliged
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bulb — for light

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