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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — all right
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — for betting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — letters
  12. stem — to come from
  13. spell — magic
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — government
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — high quality
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chest — of your body

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