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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — a container
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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