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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — in a race
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a music group
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a hole
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — final
  22. date — the fruit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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