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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · game · lie · spring · scale · current · plane · stem

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stem — to come from
  12. game — wild animals
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — a leader
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — a match
  21. spring — the season
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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