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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: chip · stem · rush · mate · face · net · rash · can

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — after costs
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — in sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — for catching
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. face — to confront
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rash — a series

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