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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. net — in sport
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rule — government
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. net — after costs
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rest — a break
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wax — to grow

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