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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. season — in sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pass — a permit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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