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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pass — a permit
  8. track — a song
  9. race — a contest
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. race — humankind
  17. last — final
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. last — finally
  24. cabinet — ministers

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