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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: mate · cabinet · pitch · wind · chest · rush · chip · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chest — a box
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chest — of your body

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