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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — low music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — in football
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bass — the fish
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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