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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — certain
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stem — to come from
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chest — a box
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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