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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. content — happy
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fall — the season
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — the amount
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rest — a break
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — the sport
  23. plane — a tool
  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