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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.

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: season · leaves · stem · pound · chest · staff · suit · object

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — a thing
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — an aim
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pound — a weight
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stem — to come from
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. staff — employees

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