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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — help
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. last — to go on
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — for betting
  14. board — a committee
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chip — to eat

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