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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 124 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — in cards
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fine — all right
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. season — of the year
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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