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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: stem · bowl · track · wake · chip · patient · kick · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chest — a box
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. track — a path
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kick — in football
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chest — of your body

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