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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. last — finally
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — in golf
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. swing — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stem — of a plant

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