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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — a break
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. row — a line
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — a stem cell

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