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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kick — in football
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fine — all right

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