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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pass — a permit
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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