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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · stand · rush · pop · chair · wave · rest · stem

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pop — soda
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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