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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: chip · spell · hide · cell · chest · pit · calf · bank

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chest — a box
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pit — in a race
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — letters
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cell — a phone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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