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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: mine · wake · stem · chair · key · club · foot · lean

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. club — for golf
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mine — belonging to me

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