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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. date — on the calendar

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