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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · capital · file · stem · lash · fine · object · track

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a document
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. capital — money
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. file — a line of people
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — all right
  21. track — a song
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. object — a thing
  24. lash — to lash out

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