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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 120 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: foot · scale · chip · stem · wind · sharp · chest · spring

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chest — a box
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. scale — in music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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