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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: game · staff · stand · stem · key · kick · cell · ruler

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cell — in biology
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — the most important part
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — in football
  19. game — a match
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. key — in music

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