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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: net · firm · scale · chair · patient · stem · squash · lean

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. firm — steady
  4. lean — thin
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. firm — a company
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stem — to come from
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — in music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. patient — a sick person

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