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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — government
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rule — a law
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — happy
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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