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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · stem · bank · stock · band · lie · coach · chair

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stock — shares
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chair — a leader
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lie — to recline
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. band — a music group
  19. bank — of a river
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — goods

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