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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: stem · kick · wind · bat · safe · chip · mug · pound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — in football
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mug — a face
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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