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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 116 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: dip · tear · chip · stem · pound · straw

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — to come from
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce

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