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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: chair · mine · pass · squash · stem · deal · lean · object

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. object — a thing
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lean — to bend
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. squash — the sport

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