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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: chip · shower · stem · stick · plane · club · file · rest

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rest — a break
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. file — a document
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — to eat
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. file — a line of people
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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