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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spring — the season
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — all right
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spring — of water
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — ministers

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