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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a committee
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chair — a leader
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — for money
  21. board — to get on
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hide — to keep secret

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