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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pound — a weight
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — a stone

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