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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 124 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. net — for catching
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. net — in sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. key — in music
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lash — an eyelash

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