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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — to keep track
  5. object — to protest
  6. season — of the year
  7. object — an aim
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — to eat
  14. track — a path
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — a song
  17. object — a thing
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — a series
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chip — in a computer

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