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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: leaves · chip · toast · hide · stem · racket · wind · present

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — bread
  10. present — a gift
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. present — the time now
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stem — to come from
  24. present — there

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