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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rule — government
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — music
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. court — of law
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rule — a law

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