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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. prune — to trim
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. staff — a stick
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. arm — part of the body

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