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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — there
  7. hand — in cards
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — of the year
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — music

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