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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bass — low music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stem — to come from
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spell — magic
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. clip — a video
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — a stick
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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