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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a face
  7. ground — the earth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ground — a position
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stem — a stem cell

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