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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: lash · stem · stand · content · staff · mark · tube · chair

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. content — the amount
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chair — a leader

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