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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. object — to protest
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. object — an aim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rash — on the skin

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