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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: stem · wave · rush · chip · dip · chest · race · leaves

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — to sink
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chip — to eat
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — a contest
  23. chest — a box
  24. leaves — of a tree

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