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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cue — a hint
  4. branch — a division
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — the arms race
  10. spring — the season
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — a contest
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fall — to drop

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