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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lean — thin
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — a permit
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pass — to spend 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