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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — for golf
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. craft — boats
  20. club — a group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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