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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chip — to eat
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lean — thin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stem — of a plant

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