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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. land — ground
  6. root — the cause
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wake — a trail
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a word
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. calf — of the leg

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