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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lean — thin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mug — a face

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