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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stem — to come from
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. march — the month

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