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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. last — finally
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. row — a line
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — a break
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — to go on
  19. chest — a box
  20. last — final
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — a container

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