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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — the fish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. land — ground
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — clothes
  24. sharp — with an edge

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