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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · chip · pound · dip · spell · saw · stem · lean

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — magic
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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