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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spell — letters
  3. net — after costs
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — to protest
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. net — in sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. last — final
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — for catching
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. last — finally
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. object — an aim

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