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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: face · racket · shower · stem · mouse · chip · stick · bear

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — of a plant

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