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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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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: present · stem · row · snap · jam · chair · object · deal

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. row — a line
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — a gift
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. snap — to click

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