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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · bay · tear · toast · nail · swing · stem · perch

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — in golf
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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