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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: plane · mug · stem · chest · dip · chair · wind · key

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chest — a box
  5. mug — a face
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — in music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chair — a leader
  24. plane — a tool

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