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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: chair · season · stem · fall · safe · wax · bark · jam

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — to grow
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stem — to come from
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chair — a professorship

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