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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 116 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: stand · chip · cell · root · wound · pass · bound · mouse

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. root — the cause
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — certain
  23. chip — to eat
  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