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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 116 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 · kick · firm · fan · wake · stem · board · tear

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — steady
  9. kick — in football
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. firm — a company
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wake — a trail

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