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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chest — of your body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. season — in sport
  23. chest — a box
  24. stem — of a plant

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