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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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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: chip · cell · lash · cabinet · mouse · rush · stem · mine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rush — hurry

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