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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rock — music
  5. land — a country
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — a stone
  19. land — ground
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — all right
  22. land — to come down
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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