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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — a law
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — government
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — magic
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — shares
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — goods
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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