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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mark — a trace
  4. band — a ring
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. firm — a company
  11. mark — a grade
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to sink
  20. band — a music group
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — a face
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. firm — decided

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