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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fall — the season
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bound — certain
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — the most important part
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — a permit
  24. key — in music

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