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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bound — certain
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — tied together
  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