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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rule — government
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — all right
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — a law
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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