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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: stem · chip · squash · rock · wind · prune · face · mouse

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — to confront
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rock — music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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