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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: stem · fine · club · file · chip · lash

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a tool
  7. club — a group
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chip — for betting
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chip — in a computer

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