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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — final
  9. spring — the season
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spring — of water
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. foot — a measure

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