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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.

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: wave · present · charge · hide · chip · nail · stem · field

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — farmland
  5. present — there
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — to eat
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chip — for betting

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