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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spring — the season
  6. branch — a division
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bat — for baseball

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