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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. craft — boats
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cell — in biology
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. roll — a list
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. roll — on a roll

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