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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. chip — to eat
  4. content — happy
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. file — a tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — the amount

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