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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: season · rush · rock · mouse · chair · hand · stem · present

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. season — of the year
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — there
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — help
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mouse — the animal

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