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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: pass · lean · net · chip · hide · rest · degree · root

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. net — in sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — from a university
  11. net — after costs
  12. root — of a plant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — for catching
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. root — the cause
  18. pass — a permit
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — to eat
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rest — what's left
  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