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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 · spell · hide · cell · chest · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chest — a box
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spell — letters
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cell — a phone

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