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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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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 · stem · staff · club · saw · wake · foot · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. club — a group
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chip — to eat

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