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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. content — happy
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a list
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. roll — a cake
  24. content — the amount

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