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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. firm — steady
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — a gift
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. drill — a practice
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. drill — army training
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — a company
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — a break
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — there
  24. safe — a strongbox

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