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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.

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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
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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: land · fork · row · bulb · key · chair · face · stem

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. land — ground
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. row — a line
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. land — to come down
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fork — in a road
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — to confront
  22. chair — a leader
  23. face — to point toward
  24. row — a quarrel

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