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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fall — the season
  4. lean — thin
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lean — to bend
  12. current — happening now
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — soda
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — a permit
  24. current — electric

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