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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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Word bank
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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: staff · cap · chip · chest · leaves · rule

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rule — government
  3. staff — a stick
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. staff — employees
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rule — a law

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