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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kick — in football

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