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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spring — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — steady
  24. leaves — of a tree

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