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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. snap — to click
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stem — to come from
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. dip — to sink
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — for sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stem — a stem cell

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