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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — to eat
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spring — of water
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kick — in football
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. band — a ring
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. spring — the season
  22. band — a music group
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — for betting

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