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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — a position
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kid — child
  10. current — electric
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mug — a cup
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — to rob
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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