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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: cap · kick · chip · sharp · wave · staff · stem · pass

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. sharp — clever
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stem — of a plant

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