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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. stem — to come from
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. last — final
  24. content — videos and posts

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