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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chair — a leader
  5. board — a committee
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — to get on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a document

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