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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — for golf
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — size or range

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