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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — help
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — all right
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rule — government

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