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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. snap — to click
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wax — to grow

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