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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stem — to come from
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. face — to point toward

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