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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stem — to come from
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — a city
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. last — to go on
  11. capital — money
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. last — finally
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cue — a signal
  23. last — final
  24. saw — the tool

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