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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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