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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — to breed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mate — a partner
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — happening now
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. foot — a measure
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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