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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. content — happy
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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