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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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