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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. field — for sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tube — a container
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — a subject

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