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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chest — a box
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — for dancing
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. club — for golf
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to click
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — of your body
  18. club — a group
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chair — to sit on

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