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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — to recline

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