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

Word bank: mate · deal · row · rash · staff · stem · fork · chest

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — a stick
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chest — a box
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mate — a partner

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