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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — to come from
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spell — letters
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — for betting
  21. march — music
  22. spell — magic
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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