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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — for sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. field — farmland
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — a subject

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