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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. capital — money
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — the season
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — to drop
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pass — to succeed

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