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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ground — a position
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kid — child
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  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