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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: object · spell · rush · chip · kid · stem · present · cap

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. object — to protest
  4. kid — to tease
  5. object — a thing
  6. spell — magic
  7. present — there
  8. spell — a short time
  9. kid — child
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — letters
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stem — to come from
  16. present — a gift
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rush — hurry
  22. object — an aim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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