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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. object — an aim
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — a thing

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