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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: stem · chair · date · chest · file · fall · nail · scale

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chest — a box
  3. scale — in music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. file — a document
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fall — the season
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stem — to come from
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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