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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a music group
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — letters
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a ring
  23. file — a tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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