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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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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: wind · rest · suit · chip · hide · stem · toast · clip

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. toast — bread
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wind — moving air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rest — a break
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — to turn a key

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