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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — to come down
  11. face — part of the head
  12. land — ground
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — a country
  20. chip — to eat
  21. face — to confront
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a hint

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