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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — soda
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — to go on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — for betting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. suit — clothes
  19. last — finally
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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