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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: face · bank · stem · chair · patient · bowl · straw · mark

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. face — to point toward
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. face — to confront
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mark — a grade
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stem — to come from

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