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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — employees

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