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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: trunk · cell · ruler · chair · chip · chest · mouse · stem

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chest — a box
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ruler — for measuring

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