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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pop — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pop — soda
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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