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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 120 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: chest · stick · snap · stem · chip · fine · leaves · object

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. snap — to click
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — an aim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stem — to come from
  15. object — a thing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. object — to protest
  19. fine — all right
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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