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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — electric
  7. season — in sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stem — to come from
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — of the year
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. tube — a container

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