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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: mate · kick · leaves · stick · chip · dip · stem · pitcher

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mate — a partner
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — to come from
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. dip — to sink

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