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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: stem · chip · dip · land · rash · chest · stand · key

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. land — to come down
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — in music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — a country
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. key — for a lock
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. land — ground
  23. chest — a box
  24. key — the most important part

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