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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. firm — decided
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. staff — employees
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kid — to tease
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kid — child
  24. firm — a company

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