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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spring — the season
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fall — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fall — to drop

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