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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: chip · staff · current · deal · stem · date · last · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — final
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. current — happening now
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — finally
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fall — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — to handle
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — to eat
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — to drop
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — for betting
  23. last — to go on
  24. stem — to come from

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