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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. face — to confront
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a ring
  19. face — to point toward
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lash — an eyelash

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