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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mark — a grade
  11. can — to be able to
  12. firm — a company
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. firm — decided
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — from crying

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