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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ground — a position
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. object — a thing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. object — to protest
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. object — an aim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pass — to spend time

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