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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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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: fall · deal · chip · ruler · chest · temple · stem · bat

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fall — the season
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bat — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chest — a box
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bat — for baseball
  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