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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — in music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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