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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — steady
  9. fall — the season
  10. march — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — the month
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wake — a trail
  22. firm — a company
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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