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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. drill — the tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. band — a music group
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. drill — army training
  15. key — for a lock
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. drill — a practice
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. object — an aim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stem — of a plant

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