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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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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: scale · wound · stem · nail · bound · lie · chip · bat

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — certain
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bat — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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