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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spring — of water
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mate — a partner
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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