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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — to rest against

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