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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bound — obliged
  8. perch — the fish
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — in football
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — of water
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — electric
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chip — to eat
  24. tear — from crying

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