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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a committee
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — to get on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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