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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: firm · chair · suit · stem · bear · tube · nail · last

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — finally
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. firm — steady
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. bear — the animal

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