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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kid — child
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. fall — the season
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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