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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — finally
  7. firm — decided
  8. chair — a leader
  9. band — a ring
  10. last — final
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — a company
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. firm — steady
  20. band — a music group
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — out of danger

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