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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. object — to protest
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. craft — a skill
  11. object — an aim
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — government
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. root — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — of a word
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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