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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. safe — out of danger

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