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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — to sink
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stem — to come from
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — ground
  17. face — to confront
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — to trim

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