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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — to come from
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — the most important part
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — a short time
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spell — magic
  24. fan — to cool the air

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