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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. scale — in music
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of a tree

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