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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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