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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — in sport
  21. rule — government
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — a stem cell

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