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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: leaves · chip · dip · hand · stem · nail · charge · prune

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — in control
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. prune — to trim

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