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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stem — to come from
  4. roll — a list
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cell — a phone
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rest — a break
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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