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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. track — a song
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mate — a partner
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — to breed
  24. staff — a stick

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