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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — for sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. content — happy
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pass — a permit
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of a king
  24. rest — a break

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