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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — to come from
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hand — help
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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