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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rush — hurry
  3. band — a music group
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lean — thin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lean — to bend
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — finally
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — final

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