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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — certain
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bound — obliged

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