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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. staff — employees
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — in football
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — a stick
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — a break
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — a container
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — the underground

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