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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. key — in music
  3. swing — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stem — to come from
  16. key — for a lock
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spring — a coil

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