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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — a hat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a face
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wax — to grow
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — in music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mug — to rob
  24. date — the fruit

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