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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — of the year
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to click
  9. content — happy
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. content — the amount
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stem — to come from

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