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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — to rob
  9. land — ground
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — a path
  14. kick — in football
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — for betting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bulb — 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