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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — clothes
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — help
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. snap — to click
  24. chip — to eat

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