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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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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 · court · tear · patient · stick · stem · press · hide

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tear — to rip
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. press — to push
  20. court — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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