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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fork — a garden tool

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