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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. present — the time now
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — in football
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — a break
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. present — a gift
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — to come down
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — a short time
  24. present — there

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