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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pass — a permit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bank — for money
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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