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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: stem · mine · pass · wave · suit · cell · current · chip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. current — electric
  7. pass — a permit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cell — a phone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. current — happening now
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cell — in biology

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