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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. row — a line
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — the sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — to crush
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. march — the month
  21. last — to go on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. last — final

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