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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — the cause
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. land — ground
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — to eat
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — for betting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. land — a country
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of a car

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