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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to click
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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