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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: hand · stem · lean · key · object · rock · mug · chest

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lean — thin
  4. object — to protest
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hand — help
  14. key — in music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — music
  24. key — for a lock

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