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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. race — a contest
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. file — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — humankind
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — the arms race
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — a stick

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