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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. game — a match
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — a container
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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