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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chest — a box
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — part of the body

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