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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cap — a hat
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — of ice

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