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

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spring — of water
  3. object — an aim
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — a coil
  17. object — to protest
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spring — the season
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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