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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chip — for betting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — to confront
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stem — of a plant

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