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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — goods
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. file — a tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. file — a document

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