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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. face — to confront
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. net — after costs
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pop — music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — part of the head
  19. net — in sport
  20. pop — soda
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ground — a position
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — for catching

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