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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. band — a ring
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — hasty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — on the skin

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