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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. object — a thing
  2. chip — to eat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. tube — a container
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. face — to confront
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — for betting
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — the underground
  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