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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — to shout
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a tool
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. club — a group
  24. sharp — with an edge

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