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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — a lid
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — to bear

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