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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: cue · stem · staff · shower · scale · chair · chest · calf

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. shower — to wash
  3. scale — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a hint
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chest — a box
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cue — a signal
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. shower — rain
  24. chest — of your body

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