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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. firm — decided
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — a company
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. root — the cause
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. board — a committee
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — of a word
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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