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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 · face · ground · stem · lie · charge · trunk · pit

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — a position
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — a price
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stem — to come from

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