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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — happening now
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. current — electric
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chest — a box
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wave — with your hand

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