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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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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: chip · wave · cabinet · stem · wind · straw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. straw — a straw man

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