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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rule — a law
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rule — government
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chair — to sit on

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